HALDIMAND — Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Bobbi Ann Brady was the sole vote against Bill 9, the Municipal Accountability Act, which passed with a final tally of 110-1 on Wednesday, May 26, 2026.
The bill allows a municipal council to remove an elected member from office. Previously, integrity commissioners (IC) could not recommend this action. Now, in cases of extreme or egregious behaviour, an IC can escalate an investigation to the provincial level, where the IC of Ontario can send back a recommendation for a council to decide on a removal. A unanimous council vote is required for removal.
On May 27, Brady posted a video to Facebook explaining her reasons for voting against the bill.
“As the old saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” she said. “One of my political detractors, who I believe aspires to take my job, is out there saying she’s embarrassed by my action. I feel it’s embarrassing to uphold the bad policy. Bill 9 creates a serious democratic concern. It opens the door to an environment where elected council members could potentially vote a fellow elected colleague off council.”
Brady asserted that removal of elected officials should take place only at elections.
“Democracy dictates you – the taxpayer, the voter – should ultimately be the one to remove someone from their seat through the ballot box,” she said.
“Many members across the legislature openly acknowledged concerns and shortcomings with this bill, yet they still voted for it,” Brady added, saying that Premier Doug Ford personally congratulated her for taking a stand against the bill.
“Bill 9 is flawed and time will prove it. I make no apologies for doing what I think is right for the people of Haldimand-Norfolk, right for all Ontarians, and right for democracy. Being a sheep and following the pack off a cliff isn’t courage.”
The Press asked Haldimand’s municipal government members for their views on the bill.
Mayor Shelley Ann Bentley called Bill 9 a disappointment.
“I believe leaving the decision to remove a council member up to council could lead to further politicization of an already flawed system. I believe that we have constituents that vote members of council in and it should be those constituents to remove a member,” she said.
Bentley pointed to the lack of a clear definition in the bill for ‘egregious behaviour’: “The fact that there is so much grey and that it is left for individual interpretation is a problem,” she said.
Haldimand CAO Michael Di Lullo believes the bill is working in the right direction.
“The legislation, which has been supported by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and a number of local government advocacy groups, supports good governance by strengthening accountability measures and ensuring elected officials are held responsible when breaches to the Code of Conduct occur,” he said.
Asked if he agreed with Brady that allowing councillors to remove elected officials is undemocratic, Di Lullo replied, “Where there are clear and substantiated grounds, removal from office should be considered. However, to preserve fairness and democratic integrity, the final decision should rest with an independent judicial process.”
Ward 3 Councillor Dan Lawrence called the bill a good starting point for accountability but similarly feels that the final authority should sit with a member of the judiciary considering the “magnitude” of such decisions.
“Unanimous or not, elected peers should not be judge and jury. The final decision should rest with an independent third party with no affiliation to a municipality,” said Lawrence. “I am optimistic the Province will re-visit, tweak, the needed legislation moving forward.”
Ward 5 Councillor Rob Shirton said, “I do agree with Bill 9 – maybe not all of it, but holding councillors accountable and having an IC is important; the independent rulings are important.”
Ward 2 Councillor John Metcalfe added, “I don’t have an issue with Bill 9. Of course, the bill has good intentions if used correctly. I think a third party needs to be involved in any councillor being removed for egregious behaviour; this is a very relative term and could be abused in future councils.”
In a May 26 Facebook post, Dunnville resident and VP of Communications for the Haldimand-Norfolk PC Riding Association Marianne Kidd criticized Brady for voting against the bill.
“Today, Ontario moved forward. Our MPP stood alone. We deserve better,” said Kidd.
In a follow up, Kidd clarified that her comments were made as a private citizen, not as a representative of the PC association.
She said the video stemmed from a passion for the legislation at hand, noting the years of advocacy work of Women of Ontario
Say No, alongside municipal workers, to hold municipally elected officials accountable for violence and harassment.
“Ontario’s Big City Mayors, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Conservatives, New Democrats, Liberals, and Greens all agreed,” said Kidd. “Every single MPP voted yes. Except ours.”
The Press asked Brady to confirm if she was referencing Kidd when mentioning a ‘political detractor’ possibly aspiring to her job in her May 27 video. Brady responded, “I was deliberate in what I said and what I did not say. I did not name anyone, and I do not intend to confirm or characterize any individual as the subject of the video. The focus should remain on the issues raised, not speculation about identities.”
On Brady’s initial comments, Kidd said, “Disagreeing with an elected official’s public vote is a basic democratic right. Suggesting that a private citizen who does so must have political ambitions is not only presumptuous – it is a tactic designed to silence people.”
Kidd said Brady has previously “publicly targeted” her for expressing a dissenting view.
“In September 2025 … she posted my photo publicly, referred to me as ‘the female photographed,’ and suggested I was doing the ‘dirty work’ of political operatives. I was a private citizen volunteering on a local board,” said Kidd.
Kidd continued, “I have watched others stay silent out of fear of the same treatment. I will not be among them. Residents of Haldimand-Norfolk deserve representation that welcomes scrutiny, not one that punishes it.”
PC Riding Association President Phil Hauser called “personal attacks” from politicians aimed at private citizens “despicable,” sharing a concern that growing online political discourse is making residents generally more vulnerable to hostility.
Hauser also criticized Brady for not articulating the full process involved in removing an elected official under the bill in her video.
“The legislation does not allow a councillor to be removed simply because of a complaint, disagreement, or political pressure,” he said, outlining the requirements for a local IC investigation and provincial IC recommendation. “Only after that would the matter go back to municipal council for a formal vote. That is a multi-step process with checks and oversight, not an arbitrary removal…. This is both sound and independent of local politics.”
